What Is Bromelain?
Bromelain is the name for a group of naturally occurring enzymes found in pineapple. As a supplement, it's often used to ease pain and swelling, especially in your nose, sinuses, and gums. Some people also use it to treat sore muscles, the pain of osteoarthritis, and as a topical treatment for burns. But there's not a lot of research to show that it's effective for these uses.
Natural Sources of Bromelain
Bromelain is found naturally in the fruit and stem of the pineapple plant. The stem and skin contain the highest concentrations. Pineapple flesh or juice does not contain enough bromelain to have any medicinal effects.
Bromelain Supplements
Bromelain is available in two forms, both of which you can get over the counter.
Oral. You might take bromelain as a capsule or a tablet if you're using it to treat conditions such as muscle strains and sprains, tendonitis, sinusitis, and arthritis.
Topical. This form is used to treat burns.
Bromelain with quercetin
Quercetin is another substance that comes from a plant. Like bromelain, it’s available as a tablet or capsule. The two are often packaged together as a supplement because both are anti-inflammatories.
According to research, bromelain may help increase quercetin's bioavailability — how much your body is able to use — making it more effective. In two separate studies, a supplement containing both compounds had positive effects on study participants with COVID-19 and carpal tunnel syndrome. The supplements also contained other nutrients, such as vitamins C, E, and B vitamins, so it's unclear how much of a role bromelain and quercetin played on their own. More studies are needed to isolate the effects of bromelain and quercetin.
Bromelain Benefits
There have been a small number of studies done on bromelain. Here’s what research suggests about the potential benefits so far.
Osteoarthritis symptoms and muscle soreness
It's unclear whether bromelain helps relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, as well as muscle soreness after exercise. A 2022 review published in the journal Rheumatology and Therapy found that a supplement that contained bromelain along with two other substances, trypsin and rutin, may be as effective as an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory. But older studies have found that a bromelain supplement alone isn’t particularly helpful.
Recently, a 2021 study published in the journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies found that bromelain when combined with curcumin from the turmeric plant reduced inflammation in cells in synovial fluid, which is the fluid that cushions your knee joint.
Sinus infections
A 2024 review of 54 bromelain studies concluded that the enzyme helped relieve the symptoms of sinusitis. One reason may be its anti-inflammatory properties, which can ease nasal swelling. But the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that there isn't enough high-quality research yet to confirm these findings.
Post-surgery pain and swelling
Bromelain’s anti-inflammatory properties may mean it can help reduce pain, swelling, and bruising after surgery. Some studies show that it eases pain and swelling and improves jaw range of motion after wisdom teeth surgery. It’s also used routinely in Europe after nasal, sinus, and trauma surgeries. But some research doesn't support its effectiveness, so more high-quality studies are needed.
Burns and wounds
Research shows that bromelain may help heal burns. It removes dead and damaged skin, a process known as debridement. Dressings that contain bromelain are often used in hospitals to treat third-degree burns.
Gut health
Bromelain is often touted as a way to help digestion. It’s thought to help your body digest proteins, as well as stimulate the muscles of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Several different studies suggest it can help treat symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and gastritis (stomach irritation). Since it’s an anti-inflammatory, it may protect your GI tissues from damage.
Anticancer effects
Lab studies show that high doses of bromelain stop the growth of cancer cells. It also appears to stimulate your body’s immune system to fight against cancer. But more studies need to be done in humans to confirm these benefits. Also, it's not a replacement for long-standing cancer treatment protocol. Since it’s considered very safe, some cancer doctors use it to help treat symptoms of cancer or cancer treatment, such as lymphedema.
Bromelain Dosage
There is no standard dose for bromelain. How much you should take depends on what you're taking it for. Some experts recommend taking 80 to 320 milligrams, two to three times a day, but some studies suggest doses much higher than that. Ask your doctor about the right bromelain dosage for you.
What Are the Risks of Taking Bromelain?
In moderation, bromelain from food shouldn't cause any side effects. But supplements with larger amounts of bromelain could cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and heavy menstrual bleeding. Both food and supplement forms can trigger reactions in people with allergies to pineapples, certain pollens, carrots, celery, rye and wheat flour, latex, bee venom, and other substances.
Bromelain risks
Bromelain can raise the risk of bleeding. Make sure to stop taking it at least two weeks before surgery. Given the lack of evidence about its safety, bromelain is not recommended for children or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Bromelain interactions
If you take any drugs or supplements regularly, talk to your doctor before using bromelain. It could interact with certain antibiotics, blood thinners, aspirin and NSAID painkillers, and cancer drugs.
Takeaways
There is a lot of promising research that suggests bromelain may help improve muscle aches and pains, reduce symptoms of sinusitis, treat burns and wounds, and even play a role post-surgery. But more research is needed to confirm these findings. Always talk to your doctor before you use bromelain, as it can interfere with certain drugs such as antibiotics, blood thinners, and over-the-counter painkillers.
Bromelain FAQs
Can I take bromelain every day?
Bromelain is thought to be safe to take every day.
Is bromelain good for fatty liver?
Bromelain may help protect against fatty liver, but there's not much research to support this yet. One 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients found that mice with fatty liver disease who were given bromelain every day (roughly 20 milligrams for each kilogram they weighed) for twelve weeks had improvements in their liver function.
Does bromelain reduce belly fat?
Animal studies suggest that bromelain reduces levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone leptin. In one human study, people with obesity and diabetes who were given bromelain capsules (500 milligrams twice a day) along with a diabetes drug lost significantly more weight than those who were just given the diabetes drug.
Does bromelain lower triglycerides?
Early research suggests that bromelain can decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as it reduces the levels of an enzyme that helps your body make cholesterol. Bromelain's anti-inflammatory properties may also play a role in these effects.
